Steam-whistle



(No Model.)

W. B. DU'NNING.

STEAM WHISTLE.

No. 427.059. Patented May 6, 1890.

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IVILLIAM B. DIINNING, OF GENEVA, NElV YORK.

ST EAM WH lSTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,059, dated llIay 6, 1890.

Application filed February 14:, 1890. Serial No. 340,429. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WiLLIAM B. DUNNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geneva, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-lVhistles, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to steamwhistles; and the invention consists in a series of whistles arranged to be automatically sounded in succession, with means for controlling the intervals or rapidity with which they shall be sounded, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a side elevation with a portion shown in section. Fig. 2 is an end View looking at the left-hand end of Fig. 1, and 3 .is an end View looking at the opposite or righthand end of Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to so arrange a series of steam-whistles of different tones or pitch that they can be automatically made to sound in succession for any desired length of time and any desired rate of speed. This may be done by various arrangements of the parts constituting the apparatus; but the plan shown in the accompanying drawings is perhaps the simplest and as efficient as any.

To construct an apparatus on this plan, I provide a tube A, to which I secure rigidly a series of steam-whistles C of various sizes or tones, these whistles being arranged at different points on the tube A, as shown, or in any equivalent manner. In the sides of the tube A, opposite each whistle, is an opening a for the passage of steam to the whistle, as represented in Fi 1. This tube A is mounted on or has secured to it a pipe D, through which the steam is supplied, it being provided with the usual valve and means for operating it, which, being well known, are not shown. At the point where the steam enters from the supply-pipe D the tube A is provided with an internal annular recess e, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the steam may pass around and fill this recess or chamber, for a reason presently shown. I then provide another tube B, both ends of which are closed, of the proper size to fit within the tube A, as shown in Fig. l, the two tubes A and B being made slightly tapering and properly finished, so that they may be fitted together in'such manner as to prevent the steam from passing en-dwise be tween their abutting surfacesto any material extent, and yet leave the tube B free to turn or be easily rotated 'within the tube A. At its center this tube B is provided with a se ries of holes 0, which, being located within the annular recess or chamber 6, permits the steam from pipe D to enter the tube B at all times and continuously, while the steam is let on by opening the valve in supply-pipe I), as before stated. In this tube B, I also make a series of holes or ports 1), corresponding in number and position laterally with the Whistlcs; but they are set spirally or otherwise so located that but one of them shall be in conjunction with theopening leading to a single whistle at any one time. In other words, the ports 0 are so arranged that as the tube B rotates they will each be successively brought in lin'e with asii'igle whistle, thus causing each whistle to be sounded in turn, one at a time, and in succession.

By arranging four whistles in a circle or in the same transverse plane around the tube A, as shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen thata single port 0 will suffice to admit the steam to the four whistles successively, one at a time, and by arranging another series of four whistles in the same manner on the other portion of;

the tube A, as indicated in Fig. 1, another port 0 at that side will in like manner admit the steam to them successively, and by arranging these ports as shown, or in any similar manner, so that but one of them will be in line with a whistle at the same instant, it will follow that by rotating the tube B the eight whistles will be sounded in succession, one at a time, and by increasing the diameter or the length of the tube A a much greater number of whistles may be used and sounded successively, it only being necessary to properly arrange the ports a, or, if preferred, the ports and whistles may be arranged so as to sound two of different tones simultaneously, the whole series of whistles being thus sounded in pairs.

In order to rotate the tube containing'the ports 0, I secure to it at one or both ends, where it projects beyond the tube A, two or more curved tubes d, as shown in the several figures, the outer ends of which are left open or provided with a small orifice for the escape of steam, which will cause the tube to rotate in the opposite direction from that in which the steam escapes, on the principle of the Eolipile and the well-known Barker wheel. It will readily be seen that when steam is let on the tube B will be set in .motion and the whistles operated as above described.

In order to regulate the speed or rotation of the tube B, and thereby the rapidity with which the Whistles shall be sounded, I secure upon the rotating tube B a disk or wheel I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and to an arm 0 on the tube A, I pivot a lever or brake Z, which is arranged to bear against the periphery of the diskI when drawn against it by a cord h, fastened to its lower end, as shown in Fig. 2, this cord extending to the cab of the engine, if on a locomotive, or wherever the engineer may be located. By means of this or any similar friction-brake the rotation of the tube B, with its ports, and the consequent sounding of the whistles, may be regulated as desired.

It is obvious that many modifications of the plan herein described may be made without departing from the spirit or principle of my invention. Forinstance, instead of the curved arms cl, for rotating the tube B, a cord passing around a pulley on the tube and driven from the engine or anymoving part of the machinery maybe used, or the cord may be operated by hand,in which case the operation would. not be so entirely automatic. It is also obvious that instead of having the tube B rotate and the tube A, with its whistles, stationary, they maybe so arranged that the tube B will be stationary and the tube A,with the whistles, be made to rotate, in which case the tubes would preferably be arranged in avertical instead of in a horizontal position, the tube B in such case forming a part of the steam-pipe D. In such case the tube A would have the rotating arms (I secured to it at points around the recess or steam-chamber 6, so that the instant the steam was turned on it would enter these arms, and thereby cause the tube A to rotate and bring the different whistles successively opposite their corresponding ports, the result being the same.

The advantages of a steam-whistle constructed to operate 011 this plan are many, more especially when used on locomotives and steamboats, as its peculiarity and variety of ton es will attract attention when the ordinary whistle fails to do so. By its capacity to be sounded slow or fast it can also be used for signaling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A series of steam-whistles secured to or mounted on a tube, in combination with an inner tube provided with ports arranged to admit steam successively to the various whistles, one of said tubes being stationary and the other one movable, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a tube having a series of whistles secured thereto, a tube provided with ports arranged to admit the steam to the whistles one after another, one of said tubes being stationary and the other arranged to rotate, with one or more curved arms attached to the rotating tube and adapted to rotate the same by the emission of steam, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a tube having two or more steam-whistles attached thereto, a tube provided with ports arranged to deliver steam successively to the various whistles, one of said tubes being arranged to rotate while the other remains stationary, means for rotating the same, and abrake for regulating its speed or rotation, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of the two witnesses.

WM. B. DUNNING. Vitnesses:

M. S. SANDFORD, F. L. NORRES. 

